Rockport Middle School eighth graders are helping to conduct research upon water & soil quality, invasive plants and invasive crabs and the American Eel (juvenile and adult) population in the Millbrook watershed area. This is the fourth year that NOAA has supported the field trip, designed and run by Carolyn McWilliams, an eighth grade science
teacher. Also in attendance are approximately six NOAA summer interns and six NOAA scientists who interact closely with a 1:4 scientist/student ratio. The eighth graders completed 20 stations within MIllbrook Park and Front Beach in the areas of Life Science, Earth Science and Physical Science, as their culminating middle school science event. The students share their longitudinal data with NOAA from this area. Bayliegh Coates, front, checks the salinity of water she gathered in a refractometer as graduate student and NOAA intern Catherine Foley, right, helps her.

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